Diesel particulate filters as standard on VW Passat

12 November 2003

Volkswagen has extended the engine line-up for the Passat, its mid-size model. The saloon and the estate versions are now available with a 100 kW (136 hp) 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The 2.0-liter TDI with a 6-speed manual gearbox is fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) as standard equipment.

The DPF is located in the vehicle underbody, away from the engine. It utilizes a wall-flow monolith substrate made of a composite silicon-silicon carbide (Si-SiC) material. The filter utilizes iron-based fuel additive for regeneration. The additive enables continuous regeneration under high engine load conditions. Under low engine load driving patterns, the filter is actively regenerated by increasing temperature to approximately 500°C. It is believed that the additive will be supplied by Octel Deutschland (former Pluto).

The Passat 2.0 TDI with a 6-speed gearbox and the DPF has a maximum torque of 335 Nm at 1,900 rpm. The saloon and the estate have top speeds of 211 km/h and 205 km/h, respectively. The Passat accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 9.8 s. It consumes 6.1 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (estate version 6.3 liters). The Passat saloon has a starting price of €25,780, and the estate version €26,855.

The new Passat complies with Euro 4 (2005) emission standards. The use of DPF has a voluntary character, as reaching the Euro 4 PM limit requires particulate filters only on large size cars. Today, 65% of all Volkswagen’s new diesel engines comply with Euro 4.

Advanced DPF systems have been recently unveiled by severalGermancarmakers. Most of these systems, however, will be offered as an option, at an extra cost to the buyer. Since May 2000, particulate filters have been offered as standard equipment on increasing number of car models with Peugeot engines.